Seattle Mariners: Top 10 Rookie-Eligible Prospects for 2018
10. Eric Filia, OF
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 7/6/1992 (25)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Modesto Nuts
2017 Stats: .326/.407/.434, 567 PA, 5 HR, 9 SB, 65/45 BB/K
Info: In spite of his advanced age, Filia very feasibly would have been much higher on this list had he not been suspended in January for the first 50 games of 2018 due to a second failed drug test.
Filia was originally a 20th round draft pick out of UCLA, a strong outfielder with a strong frame on a shorter stature (listed 6′, but appears a bit shorter). Filia jumped onto the national scene in 2013 as a sophomore on UCLA’s national championship team. He tore up his shoulder the summer after that big year and missed the entire 2014 season recovering from surgery.
Filia has a tremendous stroke that is tailor-made to pound the gaps and rarely strikes out, hitting for an impressive average
While recovering from surgery, Filia was caught plagiarizing a paper, and he was suspended from school for an entire year. He had to convince his coach to get back onto the team, but once he did, he showed very disciplined approach at the plate and a very good skill putting the bat on the ball.
Filia has shown that exceptional plate discipline as a pro, with 117 walks to 71 strikeouts in all his minor league stops, including the Arizona Fall League. He’s also hit .344/.428/.468.
Filia is not a guy with elite defensive skills in the outfield, though he could be a solid left fielder. He’s also not a guy who will hit 30 home runs at any point. However, Filia has a tremendous stroke that is tailor-made to pound the gaps and rarely strikes out, hitting for an impressive average.
Once Filia returns from suspension, he’ll likely be at AA, and if he can hit the way he has, he’ll likely get some run at the major league level by the end of the season.
9. Matt Festa, RHP
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 3/11/1993 (25)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Modesto Nuts
2017 Stats: 42 G, 1 GS, 69 2/3 IP, 6 SV, 3.23 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 6.5% BB, 34% K
Info: Festa was a senior sign out of small-school East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, drafted in the 7th round in 2016 by the Seattle Mariners. As with most senior sign types, he was assumed to be a high-floor, low-ceiling type.
That may have to be adjusted with Festa. After a pro debut, where he threw 60 1/3 innings across 14 games, 8 of them starts, with a 3.73 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 5.5% walk rate, and 22.9% strikeout rate.
Festa took a redshirt season, and was older as he entered pro ball, but much of that was due to his arm recovering from health issues during college. Festa saw his fastball reach the mid-90s in his draft season, but his secondary stuff was more about his control of his pitches than the true movement of them.
The Mariners moved the righty to the bullpen to get him to the majors quicker. In 2017, in a hitter’s league in high-A, the move paid off as Festa’s slider improved such that Baseball America named it the best slider in the entire system.
Festa works in the mid-90s as a reliever, topping out around 96-97, with excellent control on a late-breaking slider. He could have a future as an elite reliever due to his plus control and plus slider along with an excellent fastball.
Festa needs work in the upper minors and will likely open 2018 in AA, but it would not surprise if he found his way to the big leagues by the end of the season.
Next: #7 and #8